The letter
Since 1966 the Animal Welfare Act has prevented the modernization of your local department of animal care and control's system for identifying lost pets.
With modern technology comes the ability to upgrade the current system and greatly improve the success rate of all the parties involved trying to reduce the number of lost pets.
Currently there are no new methods of getting lost pets home being endorsed by the lost pet industry.
The issue with finding a new method that the USDA or other official Departments of Government can legally be able to endorse and use is as follows. The Animal Welfare Act Part 201 Section 2.53, sub section 2.51 states the following — Form of official tag:
(a) The official PET LICENSE tag shall be made of a durable alloy such as brass, bronze, or steel, or of a durable plastic. Aluminum of a sufficient thickness to assure the tag is durable and legible may also be used. The tag shall be one of the following shapes:
(1) Circular in shape and not less than 1¼ inches in diameter, or
(2) Oblong and flat in shape, not less than 2 inches by ¾ inch and riveted to an acceptable collar.
This eliminates the more modern rabies/chip that could actually lead the dog catcher or finder right to the door of the owner, or where the owner can be ticketed and the pet goes home instead of the shelter.
Other benefits of the Pet License collar are the documentation of the pet's owner, with files containing copies of their identification, fingerprints, address, and video and voice recordings communicating to the lost pet. This can be used to calm an animal so they cooperate with the finder. Uncooperative pets become euthanized first. Also, this will lower the costs of getting your pet out of jail, which sometimes pet owners cannot afford.
Then it takes time to gather the funds needed to free their pet in the five days allowed before they are sold to research or killed if they are scared and skittish.
When an owner does not take care of the ticket he will have a warrant and be arrested, which in my opinion is much more acceptable than killing their animal, and I am certain that pet's owner will agree, as would the pet.
This modern technology has the potential of devastating euthanasia rates to all-time lows.
The information contained on the collar will be easily changed should the owner break their phone or move, unlike the tags of the past.
Of course, stated elsewhere in the AWA there is an inclusion of microchips being substantial identification. We all know clearly they are not, but we cannot tell people that it is not enough because the law says that it is.
Pets without collars are just not found by strangers and not immediately taken to be scanned. In fact the reason pets are found in a year or five years, or even in a different state than the one they were lost in, is not because the pet was scanned — it's because they WERE NOT scanned.
The Pet License collar will be a lot more effective if endorsed by the lost pet industry. It seems the Pet License collar will be a lot more cost effective to volunteers and shelters, as they will have the option of purchasing these tags and collars at cost, in kits, and in bulk — the costs being much lower than any method currently being endorsed. I know this as I am the one who invented it.
Many want to see their baby get home. For many it has been years.
So come on, microchip — is it eventually gonna get scanned, as it is still in the hearts of the owners of many missed pets?
If you agree it is time to modernize the lost pet industry, please help by signing the letter you just read, and donating.
Thank you very much, and the animals thank you — they just want to get home.